DJ comes to a Hellidon pub

Pete Lawrence

Published:09:29Friday 31 January 2014

A founder of a music festival will be making a rare DJ appearance at a village pub on Saturday.

The DJ Pete Lawrence based in Braunston and who founded the Big Chill Festival and Cooking Vinyl label, will be appearing at The Red Lion pub inHellidon where he will be dusting down his collection of records from the 60s and 70s.

The themed night will offer free admission and features a 70s style buffet of food at a cost of £5 a head.

The event will also see a fancy dress contest with prizes up for grabs for the best dressed man and woman on the night.

Pete started The Big Chill as a north London Sunday social in 1994, and presided over its rise to become one of the most successful outdoor events in the UK summer calendar.

The event attracted an audience of more than 30, 000 at Eastnor Castle by 2007 and arguably invented the phrase ‘chill out’, which has now become everyday language.

He sold his shares in the festival the following year which enabled his move to Braunston, where he is now working on a new social network, Pic-Nic Village, to be launched this year.

Pete now stages folk concerts at his home, The Old Dog & Gun, and also hosted a very successful pop-up weekend over August Bank Holiday last year.

At the event in Hellidon, he will be playing a number of classic tunes from 8pm til midnight in a wide variety of musical genres.

Among the styles played will be a wide-ranging mix of pop, rock, soul, motown, funk, punk and disco – all designed for people to chill out and enjoy or dance and recreate the joy of the swinging 60s.

For further information about the DJ, visit his website at www.petelawrence.net or alternatively visit www.picnicvillage.com.